Our project looking at the voting system, politics and people with learning disabilities was featured in Guardian Society on Wednesday.
The piece highlights findings from a recent survey we carried out, looking at the number of people we support who are voting and the reasons for non-participation.
The survey highlights that while 80% of people supported by United Response are registered to vote, only 16% took part in their last local elections and 20% in the last general elections. The complexity of the the voting system, a lack of accessible information and a dearth of training for councillors, MPs and other political stakeholders, were all highlighted by United Response support workers as key barriers to participation.
Isabel Ros Lopez, UR First Manager, was interviewed by The Guardian about the project. She said:
"People with learning disabilities are citizens too, and we have a social duty and legal responsibility to enable them to take part in the democratic process. The fact that we are not achieving this is a social failure."
Su Sayer, chief executive of United Response, said:
"Political decisions affect the lives of people with learning disabilities in the same way as they affect everyone else - more so in many cases - and yet they continue to be some of the most disenfranchised people in society."
Here's the link to the article http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/apr/30/learningdisability
